The EarthPage - March 2008

My Grandfather's Legacy

- By Anna Fahey of Earth Share organization Sightline Institute

In 1930, when my grandfather was just 19, he drove with his mother from Seattle to Mt. Vernon, Washington, and stood on the county courthouse steps, anxiously watching as a handful of land auction buyers gathered around him. With little money in his pocket, he knew that if anyone else in the crowd intended to bid on the parcel he'd come for, he would walk away with a broken heart.

It was his luck--and our family's great blessing--that only he had come that morning to purchase land on Cypress Island. Part of the San Juan island archipelago in the Puget Sound, Cypress is an island that he'd fallen in love with as a kid. That day nearly 80 years ago, he paid 50 dollars down on nearly 100 acres. That land would anchor our family and shape all our lives.

Recently, I stood with my grandfather--now 97--a few blocks from the same courthouse steps as he, my dad and I signed a conservation easement--another down payment, if you will--that continues our stewardship of that land into the future. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust to permanently limit certain land uses to protect a property's natural characteristics in perpetuity. The easement stays with the land even if ownership changes. Perpetuity is a big word, but this contract is meant to last. Our signatures that day made concrete our conviction that the place is not something to possess, rather a place that we have a responsibility to take care of and a legacy we want to leave intact.

Cypress is a magical spot. The Northern Straits Salish have lived in these parts for more than 11,000 years. A few homesteaders scratched out orchards and gardens on the rugged landscape in the 1890s--but didn't last long. There are a few private cabins on Cypress today. But the island has come through the years largely untouched. It is the biggest undeveloped island in the San Juans--without ferry access, paved roads, or much human impact. Parts of the island have been logged; the forest on the majority of the island today is magnificent and healthy 100-year-old second-growth.

People who know the island, either by exploring its rocky beaches, hiking to panoramic views from Eagle Rock, or circumnavigating it in a kayak, develop a fierce loyalty to it. My family, along with other landowners and concerned neighbors, spent decades working to protect the island's integrity. Starting in the 1960s, developers bought up most of the island, proposing subdivisions and extensive development. Plans were lined up for a 5-star resort that would take up three quarters of the island, including a golf course, air strip, and marina. Overnight, Cypress could have been transformed from a pristine gem to the most densely populated island in the San Juans.

Citizen action and visionary state leadership saved Cypress from that fate. In 1975, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources purchased its first parcel on Cypress. In the late 1980s, the DNR's mandate changed slightly: the state could hold especially unique or fragile land without logging it. These special places are managed as a "public trust" for the benefit of current and future citizens of Washington State. Cypress qualified. By 1996, on the 5,500 acre island, DNR had acquired 4,700 acres.

The easement process led my family to some unusual dinner-table conversations. There was no question about our intentions: To keep the place just as it is. But thinking through the details forced us to imagine the world in 10, 50, 100 years--and beyond. We wound up working through tough questions--and facing tough realities--about our hopes and fears for our family and our region.

This conservation easement is small in the face of larger concerns -- climate disruption, population, economic stability. But any family would benefit from conversations like the ones we had, imagining the world we'd like to leave behind. Because we're all responsible for protecting our grandfather's stake--or whatever place our souls call home.

Anna Fahey lives in Seattle and is the Communications Strategist for Sightline Institute. She wishes to thank her dad, Nick Fahey, for "leading the Friends of Cypress Island for all those years," Bob Rose and the Skagit Land Trust for unflagging "dedication to conservation," and her grandfather, George Fahey, for "being as visionary at 19 as he is wise at 97.

Clean Marina Washington Celebrates Milestone, Goes Statewide

- By Chris Wilke of Earth Share organization Puget Soundkeeper Alliance

In August 2007, the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance-sponsored Clean Marina Washington program officially completed two years as the recognized statewide environmental certification program for marinas as it proudly announced the certification of the 30th marina under the program. The program is based on, and continues to work closely with, the EnviroStars program, which certified its first marina in 1995.

The Clean Marina Washington program certifies marinas that take comprehensive steps to prevent pollution from marina and boating activities including fuel spills, boat maintenance, sewage disposal and stormwater. Clean Marina Washington now has 32 certified marinas, including public and private marinas, full service marinas, yacht clubs, military facilities and marina-resorts. Washington's strongest asset is the seven-member partnership created for the program which includes business interests, government agencies and environmental advocates.

Thanks to a recent Department of Ecology Public Participation Grant, Clean Marina Washington is now funded to operate the program statewide. Even though it has always been a policy to respond to interest throughout the state, this new funding insures that staff will be visiting marinas in every region of the state and offering assistance to marinas that work towards pollution prevention. New aspects of the program include a Dockwalker program to increase boater outreach and a bilgewater collection pilot project to increase the availability of facilities for the proper disposal of oily bilgewater.

For a list of certified marinas and partner organizations go to: www.cleanmarinawashington.org

If you would like more information on the program or would like to get involved as a "Dockwalker" contact Chris Wilke at 206-297-7002.